Mazami the Tsinga
by Dreamingoftwilight
Summary: Mazami is the last member of the deceased Tsinga clan. The Tsinga clan was wiped out mysteriously right before Mazami's eyes. So why can't she remember what happened?
1. Sweet Dreams

Mazami had been given a day off by her team captain. She was in team 5 along with  
Lamane and Fikkaru.  
Being bored out of her mind, Mazami decided to go to Lamane's house to ask if she wanted to spar with her. Lamane's house was now only a few blocks off when she ran into Fikkaru.

"Oh, hey Mazami! What a coincidence that I bumped into you, I was just looking for you," he smiled.  
"Oh, what is it?" Mazami turned towards him.

Mazami's long knee-length coal black hair flowed with the movement. Fikkaru's heart jumped in his chest. _She's so beautiful . . .__  
_Mazami blinked her light blue eyes. What's up with him? Why's he staring at her like that? She waved her hand in front of his face, "Um, hellooo? Anyone in there?"  
He laughed nervously, "Ha ha, yeah. I'm just dandy!"  
"So what is it you were looking for me for?"  
"Oh, yeah. I was wondering if you wanted to do something with me. I'm pretty bored."  
Mazami smiled, "Oh, that's just perfect! I was just going to Lamane's house to ask her if she wanted to spar with me. Wanna come?" She tilted her head slightly, but the movement was enough for Fikkaru to catch his breath.  
"Um, sure."  
"Alrighty then, lets go." Mazami started walking towards Lamane's house again, now with Fikkaru in tow.

Once at Lamane's house Mazami knocked on the door. Lamane stepped out, her kitten on her head.  
"Hey guys! What's up?"  
Mazami gestured to Fikkaru and herself, "We were just wondering if you wanted to spar with us? We're both bored out of our brains."  
Lamane put her kitten down, "Okay, let me just get my equipment." Lamane went back inside then came back out with a belt full of tricks.  
"Okay let's go."  
Once at the training grounds they stood in a circle, far apart.  
I readied my hands, "Ready," Mazami yelled.  
"Set," Fikkaru yelled.  
"Go," Lamane, Fikkaru and Mazami screamed in perfect sync.  
Shuriken were shot left and right, but all were aimed at Mazami. They must of figured out they can't beat her so now they're ganging up her XD.  
But Mazami did her bloodline jutsu and stopped all the shuriken in midair. She did few hand signs to launch them back at her attackers.  
Both Lamane and Fikkaru dodged them, but being controled by Mazami's chakra and all they just got right back on their targets' trails.  
An "umff" came from Lamane' direction. Nailed her! Literally, Lamane was pinned down to a tree by her own shurikens.  
Fikkaru had managed to tangle the shurikens in his web of strings. His own personal jutsu.  
Mazami did another hand sign and a tattoo in the form of an artistic blade came to life on her arm. Now it's just the two of them facing off.  
Mazami shot herself at him, blade cutting through the web and freeing Fikkaru's possesed knives. She threw her whole self at him, the strength to much for him to hold off with a mere kunai.  
Fikkaru quickly lost his grip and the kunai slipped from his hand. The now freed shuriken shot at him, giving him cuts.  
Mazami stopped all the shuriken and left them hanging threateningly all around Fikkaru. Her tattoo blade brushing against his neck.  
Fikkaru raised his hands, "Okay, I surrender. You win. Again."  
Lamane cried from the tree, "Hey can I get some help over here! I'd like to get down!"  
Mazami's blade dissolved back into the tattoo on her arm and she laughed into Fikkaru's chest. He laughed right along with her.  
Mazami allowed all the shuriken to drop to the ground, including the ones pinning Lamane down.

Fikkaru and Lamane lived in the same area, the one in the complete opposite direction of Mazami, so she walked home alone.  
The sun was setting by now, and it was truly a beautiful one; one meant to stop and admire.  
Mazami stopped on the road and took off to the trees. She jumped higher and higher until she felt she had found the perfect branch to lay on and watch the sunset.  
The peaceful forest, the smell of pine, the beautiful sunset . . . it was all so nostalic.  
It made her lids heavy, and boy did she want to sleep. You see, one of Mazami's mottos is "Dreams are the best part of the day." So, therefore, she loved sleeping.  
Mazami allowed her eyes to close and drift off to a utopia of dreams.

Something poked Mazami's head. She grumbled and rolled over. Wrong choice.  
She ended up rolling off the tree branch she had been sleeping on and flying towards the ground.  
She could see the ground coming closer in slow motion.   
Then a wind flew past and grabbed Mazami along with it, saving her from the skull breaking fall.  
Mazami blinked. She was now planted on the secure ground. She rubbed her tired eyes and looked up, hoping to catch a glimpse of the wind of her savior.

"Shikamaru! You saved me," she said as she saw his familiar face.  
Shikamaru scatched his head. "Yeah, well, it would of been troublesome for you to die. Besides, it's partially my fault you fell."  
Mazami blinked. "What? Why?"  
"Well, I was passing through when I saw you unconscious. I thought you were dead or something. So I poked you, then you groaning and rolled off the branch," he shrugged.  
"Oh, wow, thanks a lot," Mazami got to her feet.  
Shikamaru slumped his shoulders, to much effort, most likely. "So what were you doing out her anyways?"  
Mazami put her fingers through her hair, "Oh, I was just watching the sunset when I fell asleep. Hey, why are _you_ out here?"  
Shikamaru yawned. "Same reason as you. Except I actually I woke up."  
Mazami also yawned. "Well, I think it's time fors both to go home. We're both yawning."  
He touched the nape of his neck, "Yeah, you're right. Well, see ya later."  
Mazami smiled and nodded. "Yeah, see you later."  
She leapt off before Shikamaru even moved a muscle.   
Shikamaru scratched his head again. _That girl Mazami really is something . . ._

It had been a long day for group 5. They had been worked to the point of exhaustion.  
Fikkaru, Lamane, and Aya-sensai had gone home already, but Mazami wanted to stay behind and watch the sunset again, only this time on the hills.  
--And this time she'll be sure to wake-up.  
The sky was still mostly blue with a few tips of yellow sprouting out. She figured out when she was younger that if you watched the clouds intently for a long period of time you could see them move to another area of the atmosphere.  
It was really quite calming to watch. Just the clouds alone were soothing with their milky color and silkiness that you could almost feel even from the ground.  
Mazami reached out towards the sky, daydreaming her touching it, and shaping it.  
The sky was mesmerizing. She could feel herself loosing focus, her grip on reality slipping . . . falling away . . .  
Gone.

Mazami's mother patted her arm, "Wake-up sweetie, it's time for breakfast already."  
She rubbed her eyes of the sleep still lurking there. "Wha? Did I sleep here all night again?"  
Her mother smiled, "Yes you did. You really need to pay attention to when you get tired. It's quite troublesome for me to have to come up here every morning to wake you up and bring you home.  
Mazami got up, wobbling. "Yeah, sorry 'bout that. I guess I'm just really addicted to dreams."  
"Oh, and sweetie, you might want to fix up yourself. You look quite a mess," her mother took a mirror out of her purse and handed it to Mazami.  
Her mother was right. She looked a vampire just waking up to the blazing rays burning their hair out. She looked--

. . . covered in blood.  
Blood! _Blood! _BLOOD! "No, NO! No . . ." Mazami screamed. Not again . . . This isn't supposed to be reality!  
Mazami gasped for this film of a nightmare to release her. It's hold was tight.  
This was no nightmare.  
This was reality.  
This was her past.  
The one she tried so desperately to run from! Now it's back to get her . . .  
A female voice like a sharp knife strained Mazami's ears, "We'll get you one day. You just bid your time trying to run. There is no running from reality; from the past."  
Mazami's mother exploded to become a waterfall of blood. It pooled onto her and seeped deep into her skin.  
She stared at it in horror. The blood had stained her. Permanently.  
She had to get the blood off!  
Mazami desperately rubbed, scratched, and scraped off the blood, drop by drop.  
Something cool touched her forehead. A voice, soothing as the clouds that had led her to this damned reality. It was calling to her.  
Mazami should probably answer it.

Mazami shot up-right.  
"Whoa! Don't do that, you scared the hell out of me!"  
She blinked. What is this? A dream? A nightmare? Reality? She glanced up at the voice that brought her back to life.  
The face brought her warmth somehow, just by looking at it. "Shikamaru . . . ?"  
He smiled, "Yeah." Mazami felt her head. She had a massive headache all of a sudden.  
Shikamaru watched her every move, not bothering to hide his concern. "So what were you screaming 'blood' for anyhow?"  
Blood? Mazami was screaming that? Why? Her dream maybe? But she can't remember a thing about her dream . . . "I. . . I don't know."  
He patted her head. "Hey, no need to rack your brain for it now. Just take it easy. You're sweating and pale, I think you should go home."  
Mazami rubbed her temples. "Yeah . . . I think you're right." She wobbled up, swaying like a palm tree in a hurricane.  
Shikamaru grabbed her waist. "Well, maybe I should take you home. You don't seem stable . . . " he looked me over again. "Literally."  
Mazami smiled up at him, "Thanks, I appreciate it."  
He turned his head to hide his now red face and mumbled to himself, "How troublesome."  
Mazami giggled at him. He can be so funny at times, even when he's not trying to be.


	2. Sunset, Sunrise

Today was the day. THE day. The day Mazami puts her hair up in a ponytail. A really, really long ponytail.  
She glared at the brush. Willing it to make this work.  
Which wasn't really necessary, because her hair is so silky smooth that the brush combed through it no problem. You could probably brush it with your fingers.  
Now comes the real problem. Actually getting the ponytail to stay.  
Mazami grabbed her whole head of hair into an oversized handful and held it to the top of her head. Now the ribbon.  
Mazami took the blue ribbon and wrapped it around the bundle of hair tightly.  
1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . let go! Mazami let go of the ponytail. It slumped down a few inches.  
Mazami groaned. This will just have to do.  
Alright, ready to—  
Oh, wait. Clothes. Right.  
Mazami wrapped her breasts in bandages to hold them then put on her full body fish nets. Now she's only _half_ naked.  
Mazami slipped on her blue skirt and her half sized black cloak.  
Okay, _now_ ready to go.

Mazami arrived at her designated training site twenty minutes early. It was empty.  
She laid down in the grass and watched the clouds go by, but making sure not to slip out of it again.  
A familiar voice rang out to Mazami, "Hey! Mazami!"  
Mazami sat up. Fikkaru and Lamane were holding hands.  
_Huh?_  
Mazami could just imagine how puzzled her look must be. Lamane merely answered by beaming up at Fikkaru. Great, so they're just going to leave her out of it.  
Mazami is _so_ the third wheel.  
POOF! A cloud of smoke appeared in front of the trio.  
The sudden noise made the lot of them jump. All of them were now on their butts.  
Anko-sensai had her armed crossed through the dissolving haze.

She immediately started barking orders. "Alright, kitties. For the next week or so we are going to be doing a C ranked mission."  
Lamane was leaping for joy, "Yay!" She was so happy about her new formed relationship that she didn't even notice how this mission lacked rank.  
What an idiot.  
Anko-sensai went on. "Also, we will not be doing this mission alone. Team 5 will be working with team 10 until this mission is complete."  
Footsteps echoed behind them. Mazami turned her head around.  
There stood team 10.  
Asuma-sensai continued on about the mission. "We are going to escort some goods to the village hidden in the sand."  
Mazami's eyes wondered to the Chuunin. Ino . . . Chouji . . . Shikamaru. Shikamaru!  
She shot her eyes back at Shikamaru. He also looking at her. Their eyes met.  
Mazami smiled at him. Shikamaru turned his head away again quickly. His face had gone red.  
Mazami giggled. He's so shy.  
Asuma-sensai looked over at Anko-sensai. She nodded, "Okay, let's head out!"  
Anko-sensai was gone in a flash, Asuma-sensai on her tail. All the other Chuunins followed after.  
Mazami swiftly caught up with Shikamaru. She smiled again and waved at him, "Hey, Skikamaru. We're gonna be working together for a week! How cool is that?"  
He jumped ahead of her and mumbled something that sounded to Mazami like "how troublesome." She chuckled.  
This is going to be one interesting mission.

She immediately started barking orders. "Alright, kitties. For the next week or so we are going to be doing a C ranked mission."  
Lamane was leaping for joy, "Yay!" She was so happy about her new formed relationship that she didn't even notice how this mission lacked rank.  
What an idiot.  
Anko-sensai went on. "Also, we will not be doing this mission alone. Team 5 will be working with team 10 until this mission is complete."  
Footsteps echoed behind them. Mazami turned her head around.  
There stood team 10.  
Asuma-sensai continued on about the mission. "We are going to escort some goods to the village hidden in the sand."  
Mazami's eyes wondered to the Chuunin. Ino . . . Chouji . . . Shikamaru. Shikamaru!  
She shot her eyes back at Shikamaru. He also looking at her. Their eyes met.  
Mazami smiled at him. Shikamaru turned his head away again quickly. His face had gone red.  
Mazami giggled. He's so shy.  
Asuma-sensai looked over at Anko-sensai. She nodded, "Okay, let's head out!"  
Anko-sensai was gone in a flash, Asuma-sensai on her tail. All the other Chuunins followed after.  
Mazami swiftly caught up with Shikamaru. She smiled again and waved at him, "Hey, Skikamaru. We're gonna be working together for a week! How cool is that?"  
He jumped ahead of her and mumbled something that sounded to Mazami like "how troublesome." She chuckled.  
This is going to be one interesting mission.

Team 5 and 10 had been traveling next to the long line of trucks for hours now. The sun had already gone down. They were running in eerie darkness now.  
Lamane read Mazami's mind. "Can we please stop to rest? I'm tired." Fikkaru looked at his girlfriend.  
Anko-sensai didn't answer. Asuma-sensai ran along forward to the main caravan.  
Lamane started to whine and Fikkaru tried reasoning with her. No use, the silence had been broken.  
Mazami looked at Shikamaru. He was in deep thought for as far as she could tell. His brows were furrowed and his gaze seemed distant.  
Best not interrupt him.  
Asuma-sensai came back, and it was then that Mazami noticed the caravan's speed going down significantly. He shouted for the teams, "Hey! We're going to stop here for the night!"  
Mazami took in her surroundings. The forest. This was where she usually fell asleep anyway.  
Mazami followed Fikkaru and Lamane to their campsite. She turned her head. Shikamaru had disappeared. Odd.  
Now where would Mazami go if she was Shikamaru?   
Oh! Somewhere where you can see the sky. Mazami searched frantically for such a place.  
There was one tree in the forest over looking all the rest, and it looked to her that it had a branch to sit in near the top. That would be perfect for him.  
She jumped up into the trees. Surely enough, there sat Shikamaru.  
He turned towards her as he heard her coming. "What do you want?"  
Mazami sat down next to him. "Oh, nothing I was just wondering where you went."  
He leaned against the tree trunk and stared up at the stars.  
Mazami looked, too. The stars sparkled brightly, in completely contrast to the midnight blue sky. She was in awe. "It's really beautiful, isn't it?"  
"Yeah," he whispered, not wanting to brake the peaceful stillness.  
Mazami moved her line of view to his face. Shikamaru's skin shone brightly in the light. He was quite the handsome guy. Mazami found herself gawking at him.  
"You know I can see you staring at me through my peripherally vision," he stated.  
Now it was Mazami's turn to blush and turn away. She returned her gaze to the starry sky.  
She attempted covering up her embarrassment. "Hey, I think I see a ladle in right there." Mazami pointed to one section of gleaming light.  
Shikamaru nodded, "Yeah, that's the little dipper."  
The edges of her vision were becoming a blur. Mazami could feel the sleep taking over her. She took one last glimpse at the night sky and then at Skikamaru before she was taken over into her beloved world of dreams.

Something was smoothing Mazami's hair. A dream? An extremely good hallucination?  
Her eyes fluttered open to Shikamaru's shoulder. His arm was around her, hand running through her hair. It felt nice. Calming. The same feeling she got whenever she was with Shikamaru.  
"Hey, you up?" He lifted his arm and looked at Mazami's face.  
She groaned. She wasn't about to move. It was just so comfortable.   
He chuckled. "How come whenever I'm with you you're sleeping?"  
Mazami jumbled together, "Hidunno."  
She took a look at the sky. Sunrise.  
Mazami snuggled into Shikamaru's side. "Let's watch the sunrise together."  
He didn't answer verbally. He answered by turning towards the sky and watching keenly.  
The sun was going down with yellows, oranges, pinks, and reds. It was quite the watercolor. It really warmed up Mazami's mood to the core of her heart.  
But Shikamaru might have something to do with that.  
"Mazami . . . ," the words barely left his mouth.  
She waited intently for a few moments then lost the little patience she had. "What? You just gonna say my name for the fun of it or what?"  
Shikamaru turned his gaze to her. "No."  
He leaned in, Mazami could _taste_ his breath. Then he brushed his lips against hers. Locked.  
Mazami was startled. She wasn't expecting this from _him_.  
Shikamaru pulled free for a brief moment to say, "Mazami, I like you."  
Then they locked again. Mazami's first, second, third kiss. All Shikamaru's.  
Then they parted to take a breather.  
Mazami laughed. Shikamaru looked surprised. "I never thought you'd do something like this. This is so unlike you."  
He shrugged. _That_ was like him.  
Mazami lowered her head onto the crook of his neck. He put his arm around her and they watched the final moments of the night slip away.


	3. Mazami's KneeLength Coal Black Hair

Finally!

Mazami could see the formations of a giant sand wall coming up ahead. It had taken them five days with weather, sleeping, and the caravans.

Although, Mazami hadn't minded the sleeping much considering she slept on Shikamaru's shoulder every night. But it was still a very boring trip.

Anko-sensai shouted out our orders, "Once we arrive at the sand village our mission is complete, but Asuma and I have some buisness to attend to. You all can what you please for three days; then we will meet at the village entrance."

Both teams nodded. The entrance was right up ahead now.

Mazami ran over to Shikamaru, "So what do you want to do for three days once we get to the city? We also have to find a place to sleep."

He shrugged. "Find a high building, sleep there. I'm just going to relax for three days. You can do what you want."

She fake pouted, "Oh, so you don't care what I do?"

He put his hands in his pockets. "No, not really."

"You're so cruel," Mazami fake cried.

Shikamaru looked at her in shock with guilty eyes.

She stopped mid-sob. "Gotcha," Mazami winked.

He let out a frustrated sigh and turned his head away, blushing. Mazami laughed at him.

They stopped for a moment to admire their environment.

The entire village was made of sand. Yeah, it was a major _duh_, but it was still pretty amazing.

Mazami turned to look at the entrance they had passed through just a moment ago. It was _gigantic_!

"Well, I'll see you in three days." She whipped her head around. He held up his hand in goodbye.

"Wait!" She reached out her arm to grab him, but . . . he leapt off.

Mazami pulled her arm back and held it like it stung.

She took a deep breath. Get a hold of yourself! You know where he'll be. The highest point in the town.

Even though the thought of knowing where he was was soothing she didn't feel like going after him.

Shikamaru's not the type of guy to bow at a girl's every wishes; she has to accept that he needs his space.

She faced the foreign town. Mazami had no idea where to start.

She ended up just walking around, people watching. Getting absorbed in other people's lives helped keep her mind off her own.

Mazami decided to go get something to eat; the sun was already going down.

What she assumed was the marketplace of town had many choices in foods.

She ended up choosing ramen in the end, though.

It tasted good and it warmed Mazami's insides. She sighed. She didn't feel like sleeping on Shikamaru tonight. She's going to have to find a place to stay.

She got up and left exact change.

Not wanting to have to spend what little money she had, Mazami settled onto a bench she had found in an empty street. It was cold and felt good in the hot desert.

Mazami found herself quickly falling into a deep sleep.

"Mother? Mother? Mom, where are you?" Mazami was running, running, searching.

Frantically she ran through the grassy hills looking for her mother. Nowhere.

Finally, she gave up and went back home.

And, there stood her mother. "Mom!"

"No," her mother yelled. Why doesn't she want Mazami to go see what broke? What if it was valuable?

She quickly found out.

A man stood there, pale skin, yellow eyes . . . he resembled a snake.

"Hello, child," he hissed.

Mazami ran behind her mother, "Who is he?"

Her mother shoved her into the wall, "I told you! Get lost!"

The weird man came into the hallway where we stood, "You want to know who I am? I am Orochimaru of the Akatsuki."

"Wh-what do you want with us?" Mazami got up the courage to ask.

He laughed coldly. "What? Can't a man see his own daughter and beloved?"

Mazami stopped, cold. "Daughter? Beloved?" She turned to her mother. "Mom, what is he talking about?"

She looked away.

Orochimaru laughed again, "She can't even admit it to you! Pathetic woman." He kicked her and laughed like it was nothing.

This was too much for Mazami. She was only ten for gods' sake!

Mazami had learned a few tricks from training, and now was the time to test them out.

She took out a kunai and threw it into the ceiling. Orochimaru watched her, a crooked smile on his face. Oh, how she would wipe that smile away for what he did to her mother!

Mazami did the hand signs for her signature jutsu. "You are going to pay for that with your life."

She focused all her chakra on the kunai and sent it flying straight into the direction of the mad man's heart.

The sickening smell of blood. It dripped to the floor.

Mazami's mother spat up blood. "Mother . . . why? Why didn't you let me kill him? Why did you . . . this . . . ," Mazami's mother had jumped in front of the kunai at the least second, taking the heart shot herself. And it was dead on target.

Her mother cried, "I . . . told . . . you to . . . get . . . out." She spat out more blood. Oh, how red it was. How rusty it smelt.

Mazami shook in horror. She had killed her mother . . . her own mother! She had told me to get out! She killed her!

Orochimaru chuckled at the scene, "How tragic. This pathetic woman still has feelings for me." He sighed as if he was about to do something very tiring and not worth it.

His hands turned into a blur of pale flesh as they did hand signs not visible to Mazami's eyes.

Her mother was still breathing, barely. She might make it! Hope, you just have to hope Mazami! Hope that he won't finish her.

Hope was lost.

A cry echoed over the house. A strangled, grotesque cry. A scream.

Then blood. The blood seeped out of her pores . . . drained all her blood.

The crimson waterfall was everywhere. Mazami could feel it on her skin.

Warm.

Mazami tried to yell out, but no sound left her lips. Muted by her horror.

She shivered uncontrollably. Scratching, ripping, scraping all the blood off her face . . .

It stained! It stained her! She was stained with the blood of her mother!

Orochimaru turned around and a female appeared next to him. They chatted as if they were drinking tea and gossiping. Couldn't anybody see that Mazami's mother had just died? That Mazami had something to do with it?

Forget. Forget it. Nobody else seems to remember, so why should you?

Let go of reality. Live in the world of dreams, where your mother lives, arms wide, waiting for you.

Dreams? These dreams . . . they sound better than reality. . .

Forget your past. Forget it. What is there to remember but murder blood and mysteries?

Mother . . . she will forget mother's murder. Mother just . . . left. She'll be back.

Go wait for her away from reality, Mazami. Dreams are the key. Sleep for months if that's how long it takes to forget. Just let go . . .

Dreams . . . they sound . . . nice . . .

". . . Nice . . ." Mazami repeated. She grumbled and woke to the sand village before her.

So wait, what was nice? Was there something in Mazami's dream that was nice?

Shikamaru, probably.

"So, what was nice? Have a good fight in your dream or what," Mazami jumped. WTF?

It was Fikkaru.

Mazami ran her fingers through her hair. She was drenched in sweat. It really must've been a good fight in her dream, that's the only thing Mazami could think of.

Fikkaru's eyes looked down on her. "So what exactly are you doing sleeping on a bench?"

She rubbed her eyes, "I was . . . dreaming."

He laughed, "Well, apparently."

"Wait, what are _you_ doing here? Where's Lamane?"

He sighed. Something must've happened. "She's having a fit. You know how she is."

Mazami nodded. She most certainly did.

There was an awkward silence between them. She wished she would of chosen to sleep with Shikamaru, he would of been so warm right now.

Fikkaru fiddled with his fingers, "Mazami . . ."

"Hm?" What? Does he want advice on how to calm Lamane down?

Mazami closed her eyes and imagined trying to calm her down.

Something . . . was against her lips . . .

Her eyes shot open. "MM?!" Fikkaru was kissing her? A double WTF!?

He released her. "Mazami, I like you more than I like Lamane. I like you _a lot_."

Whoa. Mazami's head was spinning. "Fikkaru, Lamane_ adores_ you!"

He scratched his head. "Yeah, I know, but I don't think we're meant to be. She said so herself."

Mazami narrowed her eyes at him. "Do you really think she meant it? Or was she just saying that to make you say that you are."

Fikkaru blinked. He apparently doesn't know the female mind very well.

A loud sobbing noise came from straight head. What? Another disturbance?

Mazami looked ahead. Lamane. This is going to be a soap opera.

Fikkaru stood up, "Lamane! I—I . . . ," moron. He can't even explain himself.

She took out a kunai. This is going to get ugly. "Lamane, maybe you should just talk this over with him." Mazami tried. She did _not_ want Fikkaru dead.

She glared at Mazami. "You! You stole him from me! You slut!"

Mazami lifted an eyebrow. She wasn't the one who made the move.

Fikkaru went to Lamane's side, cooing her. But she was beyond cooing.

"Mazami . . . DIE!"

The kunai got flung out of her hand, its target Mazami's head.

Mazami was stunned. She couldn't move from the shock that Lamane would actually do something like this. She'd always thought of her as an airhead with no guts.

Luckily, Lamane's aim was as good as ever and missed. Instead, it went straight past the back of Mazami's kneck.

Down fell the knee-length black locks. Mazami was stupefied.

Fikkaru's mouth was agape. Lamane was stunned but full of herself for hitting something valuable to the target.

Well, shoulder-length will have to do.

Mazami best leave now before Lamane decides to take another shot at her.

She jumped to the nearest roof and searched for the tallest point in the city.


	4. The Highest Point

Jumping from roof to roof Mazami noticed that it was still dark out. She stopped to gape at the night sky.

Gorgeous.

She picked at her hair, examining the new length. It actually flattered her face, and her hair was still as silky as ever. Although Lamane's kunai hadn't given her any mercy. Mazami's hair was full of split ends.

She took out her own kunai and evened it out. Now it looks better.

She did a test-spin. Still flippy. It felt as if a weight had been lifted from her. She did another spin on her toes. Wow, it feels good.

Mazami kept spinning until she fell out of dizziness.

She laughed at herself. My, how silly she had become. She shouldn't be so silly, she should be serious.

Wait, why? Why does she have to be serious? It felt as if she had just seen someone that looked familiar but could not remember them.

She hit her head. Come on, Mazami! Why do you have to be so serious?

A face . . .

Face? Whose?

"Ahhh!" She yelled in frustration.

Flash. A face popped into her mind.

Chesnut-brown hair clipped up into a bun . . . gentle, light blue eyes . . . _so troublesome . . . _

Mother! That's it. This is Mazami's mother! Wait, how come Mazami's mother isn't in her life anymore? Did she leave?

Yes . . . she left . . . she'll be back . . .

_I told you to get lost!_

Mazami's eyes widened. No! She curled herself into a ball, trying her best to hide herself from a terrible realization she felt she was about to get.

No! Mazami doesn't want to remember!

_She'll be back . . . _

_Forget it . . . forget the face . . . _

"Forget . . . ," she repeated. She blinked.

Huh? Forget what? Why'd she say that?

Mazami got up and looked at the sky. It doesn't matter. There's no need to remember what she forgot.

What was she doing? Oh, yeah, she was going to look for Shikamaru.

Mazami looked around, searching for the highest spot.

Ah! There. The building where the Kazekage is. That's the tallest.

She jumped from house to house. She stopped for a moment. Yup, he was there. She could see the shadow of him standing there, arms crossed.

Mazami stopped, one house away from the big building. It was a big jump. Shikamaru was still only a shadow.

Fine, she'll have to use _that_ tattoo. The one Mazami almost never uses, because it's her secret weapon.

She switched her half-cloak around so the opening was in the back and the cloak was covering her front.

It _was_ only Shikamaru, so it's not like he's going to fight was Mazami in the future.

She did the hand signs. "Ink-wing jutsu!" The wing tattoo on her back came to life. It sprouted out of her back and became _her_ wings.

Mazami had always loved flying, but gave it up when she learned that if her secret weapon became a secret no longer people could use it against her.

She flexed her wings. It had been so long! Mazami wondered if she remembered how to fly.

She took a deep breath, and jumped.

At first she fell, then she expanded her wings and flapped. She was flying again! Oh, how good it felt.

Mazami almost forgot her original reason for using this jutsu. Then she remembered and pulled back up to the highest spot.

Shikamaru's going to think Mazami is amazing when he sees this.

She jumped onto the roof and closed her eyes. She had always enjoyed landing with her eyes closed, it felt wonderful.

Her right foot touched the ground first, then her left. Mazami spinned once, feeling the wind in her wings. Okay, that's enough fooling around.

Mazami firmly planted her legs on the ground and opened her eyes. She smiled out at Shika—

img src" guy with red hair and green eyes was staring out at the still dark sky.

Mazami nearly tripped over herself in astonishment. Not only was he not Shikamaru, but he was extremely _cute_.

She gawked at him while he seemed to not even notice her landing.

He finally spoke. "Who are you?"

Wow, he's certainly straight to the point. "I'm Mazami Tsinga."

He went right back to admiring the sky. Spacey, much?

Mazami walked right up to him. "Hey, who are _you_?"

"Gaara," He answered it so nonchalantly.

Gaara . . .

His voice was so . . . beyond words. "You're still here?"

Mazami rolled her eyes. "Apparently."

"What is it, exactly, that you want?"

She scratched her head. "Well, I don't know."

Gaara narrowed his eyes.

"Okay, okay. I came here to find my friend, thinking he was you . . . but obviously you're not . . . ," I tried explaining.

Silence.

Mazami had an urge to hug him. No idea why. Just one of those urges you get when you meet someone and think they're incredibly adorable.

Ah! What is she thinking? She has Shikamaru.

He interrupted her thoughts, "Wings?"

She felt her back stupidly. Oh, yeah. "Oh. Well, they're–," Mazami's secret jutsu. It's not like she can say it. She sighed and did the hand signs to make it dissolve back into a tattoo on her flesh. Mazami put her cloak so the opening was in the front again.

Then she realized something. "Hey, you haven't so much as glanced at me once. How do you know about my wings?"

Gaara turned his gaze directly to Mazami. Whoa, is it intense. "Peripherally vision."

She fell over. Right, of course. How stupid can she be?

Mazami sighed. She was sitting on a roof with a total stranger in a foreign village.

Something cold went under her butt. She looked. Sand?

She followed the flow of sand. It came from a thing on Gaara's back. What is he trying to rape her? Mazami didn't feel like screaming, and something inside her said they wouldn't mind getting raped by this guy. Mazami's inner self whacked whatever other inner self said that.

The sand wound around her arms and waist, and it . . . was helping her up?

She looked at the sand in awe. Gaara was moving it without even moving a muscle. Amazing.

Mazami was now standing up and the sand was going back into the thinger he had on his back. "Thanks."

He didn't answer.

Mazami wasn't sure if he was ignoring her of if he just didn't realize she was still there. "Um, so what are you doing on the roof?"

"I could ask you the same question."

She crossed her arms, "I already told you—"

"Why are you _still_ here."

Oh. Good question. "Uh, because . . ."

Mazami looked up at the starry sky. No matter who she looked at it with, it was always "Beautiful."

Gaara's green eyes looked at her again. Probably surprised that she said that.

"What, don't you think so?"

He looked at the sky. He apparently knew what she was talking about.

"That's why you're out here, isn't it," she inquired.

"Yes." Wow, she got an answer from him.

She put her right hand on his arm and pointed at an arrangement of stars with her left. "What does that look like to you?"

Gaara pointed to his head. A scar was their, it was the symbol for love. Mazami looked back up at the area she had pointed to in the stars. Sure enough, the stars seemed to shape into that symbol.

Is it just Mazami or is that a symbol from the gods? She promised on that spot to always remember this moment in time where she saw the symbol for love in the stars.


	5. Former Irristable

It was fall. The time when leaves turn red, brown, and yellow. A beautiful time of the year.

Mazami was spinning in a colorful pile of leaves. Twirling, spinning, turning...

Since Mazami no longer brought out her wings this was her way of still having them with her. And she enjoyed it as well.

She laughed at herself. How silly Mazami is.

After a few minutes of twirling she couldn't take it anymore. She had to drop. She was just so dizzy she didn't know which was the ground and which the sky.

Mazami tumbled to the ground, laughing and rolling in the leaves.

"I'm surprised you can still have fun. You _did_ kill your own mother," a female voice rang behind Mazami. She turned around and sat on her knees, facing the woman. Her hair was purple and her clothes had red clouds on them.

Mazami blinked. Kill her mother? Mazami has no mother. Mazami's clan is long deceased. She is the last Tsinga.

Mad woman.

The woman walked closer. "Oh? You don't remember? Don't you even remember my voice?"

Voice? No, Mazami has never seen this woman before.

The woman kneeled in front of Mazami. She looked at her like Mazami was a lost child.

"You poor thing. You've shunned everything out of your mind. Must've been to much for you to handle. You were only ten at the time. So that makes you . . ."

Mazami knew how old she is. "Twelve."

"Ah, so you do speak."

"Mazami speaks, but not to mad people."

The woman laughed. It gave Mazami the chills. "Mad? No. You are the mad one here. I came here to take you back . . . "

Back? Back where?

". . . but you would be of no use with no memory. So hurry up and remember, kid."

Mazami has to remember what?  
"Remember your past. Okay?"

This lady scared Mazami. Mazami got up and ran in the other direction of her.

The female's voice was like a sharp knife that strained Mazami's ears, "We'll get you one day. You just bid your time trying to run. There is no running from reality; from the past."

Before she was out of hearing range, Mazami could hear her saying, "I'm Rin of the Akatsuki. I'll come back to get you when your old enough to remember."

What a scary lady. Mazami was exhausted from the run and hiding behind a tree. She wants Mazami to remember something, but there is . . .

_. . . nothing to remember . . . _

_. . . nothing. . . _

Mazami rolled over. "Mmm." She didn't want to move. This bed was just so comfortable.

Her eyes shot open. Bed? Since when has she slept in a bed?

Let's try remembering last night. Retrace your steps. You met Gaara, found the love symbol in the stars, and . . . you fell asleep. Nice. What is it with Mazami and falling asleep?

But that still doesn't explain how she got here.

Mazami looked around the room. An average sand village room.

The door opened. "Gaara told me to give you your breakfast." A girl with blonde hair in four pony tails stood in the doorway. She was carrying a tray.

Mazami rubbed her eyes. So Gaara must've brought her here. The thought brought a smile to her face.

She felt a chill on her shoulders.

Wait, a chill? She ran her hand along her arm. No cloak. Mazami turned to the dresser, and surely there it sat.

The girl placed the tray on the table. "My name's Temari." She looked the same age as Mazami.

"I'm Mazami."

Temari sat on the bed next to her. She squinted her eyes at Mazami. "To think Gaara took an interest in someone . . ."

"I take it he does make friends often?"

She sighed, "No, he doesn't."

Mazami picked at the food. She wasn't a big morning eater.

Temari got up. "Well, I'll be going now. I'm assuming you don't have a place to stay, so feel free to stay here for as long as you wish. I'm sure Gaara would like that." She winked at Mazami and went out the door.

Gaara would like her to stay here? Her cheeks felt hot. She looked in the mirror. Mazami was blushing!

Some much has happened in a single night. Fikkaru kissed Mazami, she met Gaara, and got to stay in his house! She really has to tell Shikamaru about all of this.

Shikamaru! She completely forgot about him. Mazami went to find him and found instead Gaara. So she has absolutely no idea where he could be. Great.

Looks like Mazami's got a long day ahead of her.

Mazami began by searching the rooftops. After about an hour she gave up and started looking on the streets.

Food district . . . nope. Neighborhoods . . . nope. Park . . . they don't have one. Red light district?

Hmm, where else could he be?

She really hopes he's not in the red-light district . . . she's just going to have to trust he's not there.

Mazami sat down on a bench. This is hopeless. This village is huge! She sighed.

"Mazami?"

"Ah!" Mazami fell off the bench. That had scared the hell out of her.

A warm hand helped her up. She looked up. It was Shikamaru. Mazami threw herself at him. "Thank goodness you're not in the red-light district!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Red-light district?"

She laughed nervously. "Oh, nothing. Nothing."

Shikamaru sat down on the opposite side of the bench.

Mazami sat next to him. They sat in silence, except this time he wasn't admiring the sky or the clouds. He was staring at his hands like they were extremely fascinating. "What's up with you? You're so quiet."

"I heard you kissed Fikkaru."

Oh, that. Mazami waved her hands nervously, "Oh, no. That was a mistake, see—"

He cut her off. "It doesn't matter. You kissed him. That's all that matters."

"But _I_ didn't kiss him. He kissed me!" Why is he being so thick?

He groaned. "But you kissed him back!"

Mazami paused. Did she? She doesn't remember.

Shikamaru took her silence as a yes. "I'm leaving."

Mazami grabbed his arm. "No! Don't go! That's how this all happened! If you would of just stayed with me . . ."

He looked up at Mazami. "So _that's_ what this is about?"

She shook her head. "No! I just—"

She was now clinging to his sleeve, looking desperate. Something Shikamaru won't go for, even if it's unintentional.

Shikamaru pulled away and jumped to the roof of the closest house.

"Shikamaru!" She cried pitifully. It was no use. Shikamaru's stubborn. It's all over now.

Mazami pulled her knees into her chest and cried for her first love that was now lost.


	6. These Heavy Shackles

Mazami walked around the sand village for a few hours. She kept seeing the benches everywhere, as if trying to haunt her with the event. She sighed and decided to buy herself some lunch.

Mazami decided on fish. Why not spend a little money when she's down? It tasted good in her mouth. She savored every bite.

When Mazami was done she decided to jump from roof to roof hoping she wouldn't see Shikamaru and yet silently hoping she would.

Mazami stopped to gaze at the vast desert. It just went on and on, it seemed. Even at the edge of the horizon she could only see more desert. It seemed to surround her and isolate her from the rest of the world. Maybe it was best that way, so her heart wouldn't become broken so easily. Maybe she should isolate herself and shun out the hurt. Maybe she should . . .

_. . . forget . . . _

Forget? Does Mazami really want to forget the sunrise and sunsets spent with Shikamaru? His warm shoulder while she slept? Her affectionate feeling in her heart?

What about the heart brake? Shouldn't Mazami want to forget that? Leave behind the empty feeling? Run from it?

Mazami shook her head. No, Mazami is no child. There is no need to run away from hurt. Face it, become stronger with it. Wield it as a weapon. Run . . .

_. . . no more . . ._

"Run no more," she repeated out loud. For some reason she felt she had just breathed out a large breath, and yet stepped in front of a train and said, "I'm not afraid."

"I'm not afraid. I'll run no more." Mazami kept repeating the phrase. It held some warmth of its own when she mouthed it out loud.

She had a weird urge to fly. To just spread her wings and feel the wind on her face. Except she can't do that, then everyone will know her secret weapon.

Mazami made a fist. Ah, who gives a damn. If Mazami wants to fly, she will fly!

"Ink-wing jutsu!" The tribal wing tattoo on her back came to life, only this time they remained concealed under Mazami's half-cloak. She decided to not fly until she got to the tallest building. Nobody will be looking up there.

Mazami hopped from house to house, occasionally stopping to glance around. It wouldn't be too great if she bumped into anyone from teams 5 or 7 right about now. She just didn't feel like talking.

By the time she reached the center of the village she was hungry. Mazami looked at the sky line. No sunset forming yet, so it must just be time for dinner. She checked her pouch. Ten dollars. Not nearly enough to buy dinner. She groaned.

What if she became like a falcon and flew around killing her own meal? Mazami could go find some kind of creature . . .

Mazami laughed. The whole idea is just so silly. She sighed, but that doesn't solve her dinner problem.

Then it hit her. Temari had said she could stay as long as she liked, which probably meant Mazami is welcome to eat there as well.

First, to remember where it is . . .

It turned out it wasn't all that hard to remember. She found it in five minutes and got her dinner as soon as she sat down. They must've known she'd come back.

The dinner was delicious. Steak, and salad, and vegetables, oh my! Afterwards she was stuffed to the brim. And they asked if she wanted dessert, how ridiculous!

Mazami sighed. It had been a long day. Ah . . . Shikamaru . . . how she wishes he would not be so stubborn . . .

A sensation came over her again. She really, _really_ needed to fly. Mazami waved down the butler (or so she assumed) and told him she was done. He took the empty dishes away and went into the kitchen (another assumption).

Mazami got up and went down the long hall to the door. Man, is Gaara rich or what?

Once outside she breathed in deeply. She didn't give a damn if people saw her secret weapon! Mazami wants to fly and that's that! Right?

She hesitated. What if there are enemies of hers around that she doesn't know about it? What if there aren't?

Mazami took another breath. Okay, she's going to do it. Mazami spun around her half-cloak and exposed her wings to the now multi-colored sky. To late to turn back now.

Mazami expanded her wings and flapped. She soared to the top of the skies, and down and up and loop and spin . . .

It was so much fun! It got her mind off Shikamaru and the rest of the world.

Mazami stopped to admire her view. She was so high! The sand village looked like a sand castle to her now.

With out it even registering in her brain she searched for Shikamaru. Mazami couldn't help wondering what he is doing . . . if he misses her . . . if he still—she choked on the word—hated her.

Mazami felt herself falling from the sky. She just let her wings go as she moved further to the ground. Her heart hurt so much! Mazami had never realized before how much she loved Shikamaru.

His face when he blushed . . . how he turned away . . . that day when he stole her first kiss . . .

Mazami found herself going back on her saying "run no more". All Mazami wanted to was run—or in this case fall.

The ground was coming steadily closer. Closer. She would hit it soon. Then it would all be over . . .

_. . . the pain of loosing her mother . . ._

It all came back to her as the dam of her dreams released the river of her sorrows. It hit her like a flood. It was too much.

Mazami . . . had killed her mother . . . Orochimaru is . . . her father . . . Rin . . . the Akatsuki want her . . .

Mazami squeezed her head as it all came back. It will all be over in a second . . . she clenched her eyes shut as she allowed herself to be released from the shackles of her body permantly drenched with her mother's blood.

That's what this form is . . . shackles . . .

A moment passed. Why wasn't she dead yet? Or was this hell?

Mazami opened her eyes. No it was the sand village, and she had stopped falling. Though, she was shaking uncontrollably.

She was being held . . . she could feel that much through the numbness of her body.

Mazami turned her head in the other direction. Red hair . . . green eyes . . . Bing! It clicked through her shock.

"G-Gaara?" She whispered through a hysterical voice.

Maybe she just imagined it, but Mazami thought his eyes softened. He helped her down, gently because he could probably tell she was on the edge of insanity.

Shikamaru . . . hates her . . . Mazami . . . killed her mother . . . Orochimaru . . . is her father . . . the Akatsuki . . . want her . . .

The words revolved in her head. Mazami had killed _her own_ mother! Killed her! The blood . . . splattered on her! All over! She is permanently stained with her blood. _Permanently_!

Mazami looked at her hands. The hands that through the kunai . . . that stabbed her heart... that had the genes of Orochimaru . . .

Shikamaru! Help her! Shikamaru . . . Mazami needs you! But he's not here . . .

Mazami looked up at Gaara. He's here . . . "Oh, Gaara!" She threw herself at him, bursting to tears. Gaara! Gaara! Help her, Gaara! Hold her tight, tell her it'll be okay! Don't let Mazami go through this alone . . .

As if hearing her unsaid cries, he responded. "I'm here, Mazami. It's alright," he held her closer. "Just let it out"

And so she did.

_. . . thank you . . . Gaara . . . _


	7. All The Rest Inside

Guys I don't remember which chapters are which on my computer so just copy this link to your browser. It has the complete original story I wrote. It's finished.

This is the link to chapter 7 and all the rest: 


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